Skin-drying board



Apr. 3, 1923.

E; B. AYRES SKIN DRYING BOARD Filed Sept. 25, 1919 5 sheets-sheet -1 .Z'ZZavppaLB. H3366.

fiar /mv E. B. AYRES SKIN DRYING BOARD Filed Sept. 25, 1919 5 sheets-sheet 2 ElivppoZ 5y H Xwmo Apr. 3, 1923.

E. B. AYRES SKIN DRYING BOARD 5 sheetssheet 5 Filed Sept. 25, 1919 rIlllldllflfl!lrffflllflflllfl/lfllt Patented Apr. 3, 1923.

rarer ELWOOD B. AYE/ES, OFIHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO THE PHILA- DELPHIA TEXTILE MACHINERY COMPANY, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA,

A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

SKIN-DRYING BOARD.

Application filed September .23, 1919.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELWooD B. Areas, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Skin -Dry1 ng Boards, of which the following is a specification.

One object of my invention is to construct a board for drying skins in the manufacture of leather so that the skin can be properly stretched on the board.

A further object of the invention is to provide a board in which both sides thereof can be used and in which the skins on both .sides can be independently stretched.

The invention also relates to certain details, which will be fully described hereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved skin drying board;

Fig. 2 is a side view, showing one of the skins in position;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged View, partly in section, showing the ratchet mechanism for moving a section of the board to stretch a skin- Fig. 4 is a sectional plan view on the line 4 -4, Fig. 3, and

Fig. 5 is a view illustrating a modification.

This particular board is adapted to be used in connection with the drying apparatus for which application for patent was filed by me even date herewith under Serial No. 325,714, but it will be understood that it may be used with. any suitable drying apparatus.

A series of boards, such as I will now proceed to describe, may be mounted in this machine and the conveying mechanism carries the board, with the skins stretched thereon, through the drying chamber of the machine so as to dry the skins properly, after Which they are removed from the boards.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, 1 are the side channel members of the board connected together at top and bottom by sections 2, 2 of the board which extend into the channels and are rigidly secured thereto. The sections 2, 2 are preferably made of wood or other suitable material so that the skins can be secured by tacks or other fasteners. 3, 3

Serial No. 325,715.

are two movable sections of substantially the same width as the sections 2. These sections are also of a material which will receive tacks, or other fastenings.

The sections 3, 3 are sheathed at the ends by a channel member 4 and plates 5, secured to the boards, extend over the inner edge of the channel members 1 of the frame so that the sections 3, 3 are guided on the frame. Each section 3, 3 has a toothed bar 6 at each edge which has a series of ratchet teeth that are engaged by pawls so that they can be moved in the frame and held in the position to which they are adjusted. Diflerent forms of pawl and ratchet mechanism may be used without departing from the essential features of the invention.

In Figs. 3 and 4;, I have shown one form of pawl and ratchet mechanism, and'in Fig. 5 I have shown a modification of the pawl mechanism.

One half of a hide, or skin, is tacked to the outer section 2 of the board. a is the hide and I), b are the tacks securing the hide to the board 2. 0, 0 are the tacks securing the hide to the movable board 3 After a hide is tacked in position, the board 3 is moved by its ratchet mechanism away from the board 2 and the hide is stretched between the two boards. The board is then reversed and another half hide is secured to the board, the hide being secured to the outer section 2 and to the adjustable section 3, which is adjusted to stretch the second hide in the same manner as the first, so that two hides are mounted and stretched on each side of the board. These boards are placed in the drying machine, preferably of the type mentioned above and as the boards are passed through the machine the skins are properly dried.

In order to allow the boards to swing freely, I provide pivots 7 for the frames 1, which project from each side. These pivots are nearer one edge of the board than the other so that the preponderance of weight of the lower portion of the board will hold the board in the lower position on the pivots when mounted in the machine. On each side of the pivots 7 are pins 8 to which bars can be attached to hold the board in a horizontal position, while the skin is being secured thereto. These pins, however, may be dispensed with, in some instances, particularly where the boards are used in a machine dittering in type from that mentioned above.

One form of ratchet mechanism for moving the boards so as to stretch the hide is shown in Figs. 3 and l, and consists of a lever 9 having a detachable handle 10, the lever being pivoted at 11. A pawl 12 is pivotally attached to the short arm of the lever at 13 so that, on the movement of the lever, the pawl will engage the ratchet teeth 6 and will move the board forward. A detent pawl 14:, pivoted to the side member 1 of the frame. engages the ratchet teeth and prevents the return of the board. The pawl 12 is attached to a hand lever 15 by a spring 16 and the detent pawl 14 is attached to a hand lever 17 by a spring 18. These two hand levers are in such position that they can be grasped by the lingers ot' the operator to allow both pawls to be withdrawn from engagement with the ratchet teeth 6, in order to allow the parts 3, 3 to be moved treely within the frame. A curved spring 21 is attached to the two hand levers, as shown.

19 is a locking lever which engages the lever 9 so that by turning the lever 19 the ratchet lever can be locked in position, the lever 19 having a Hat portion 20, which extends into a slot 22 in the lever 9. When the lever 19 is in the position illustrated in Fig. the lever 9 is free to move on its pivot, but when the lever 19 is shifted so as to bring the fiat portion 20 across the slot in the lever 9, then the lever 9 is locked against movement on its pivot.

In Fig. 5, I have illustrated a simple pawl and ratchet and in this instance the board is drawn down by hand, the pawl 12 engaging the ratchet teeth 6" and holding the board in position. A spring keeps the pawl in engagement with the teeth. The pawl has an arm, on pressing which it will be withdrawn from the ratchet teeth so as to release the board.

It will be seen by this construction that I am enabled to provide a board, both sides of which can be used for stretching and drying hides and skins. While the several board sections support both skins, the skins are secured to difl'erent sections.

It will be understood that the details of construction may be modified without departing from the spirit of the invention, and that. the parts can be of a size to accommodate diflerent skins, if found desirable.

In using boards o'l this type with a c rying apparatus. such as shown in the above mentioned application. comparatively few boards are necessary to dry a. large number of skins.

I claim:

1. The combination in a board for drying skins, of side members; two end members to which the skins may be attached, said end members being rigidly secured to the side members, the two end members being in the same plane, the site members and rigid end. members forming an open frame; two adjustable, intermediate members on the same plane as the end members and located within the frame and arranged to slide on the side members; and means for adjusting and holding each of the intermediate members.

2. The combination in a board for drying skins, of side channel members; end sections spaced apart and securcdto the side members; two intermediate members having plates overlapping the side members, the end sections and the intermediate sections being on the same plane; teeth on each end of each intermediate section; and ratchet mechanism located in the side channel mem bers for moving and holding the said intermediate sections to stretch and hold the skins attached to the frame.

ELl/VOOD B. AYR ES. 

